488 PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



the average mortality in man. Most of the failures, how- 

 ever, have been in cases of grave .prognosis and rapid devel- 

 opment. There are no publications obtainable which relate 

 to the treatment of tetanus by intracerebral injections in the 

 horse. The experiment is yet untried. In every instance 

 they should be resorted to as early as possible. 



The tolerance of the brain to antitetanic serum is inter- 

 in 



esting. The practice of intracerebral injections is simple, 

 although the most absolute asepsis is essential. In the horse 

 it would first be necessary to resort to complete anjesthesia 

 by chloroformization, and then incise the skin parallel to the 

 median line about two centimeters outside of the parietal 

 crest. After dissecting' the subcutaneous connective tissue 

 and the insertion of the temporalis muscle, a small trepana- 

 tion is made about 3 centimeters above the union of the 

 parietal crests. The needle of Pravaz's syringe, five to six 

 centimeters long, is then passed through the white sub- 

 stance into the lateral ventricles. The injection of about 

 ten cubic centimeters is made, drop by drop, into each hem- 

 isphere. The operation is followed by consecutive psychical 

 disturbances, which are, however, of short duration. At the 

 autops}^ no trace of the needle puncture in the cerebral sub- 

 stance is found. 



Medical Treatment. — The medical treatment aims to 

 modify the excitability of the nerve centers caused by the 

 poison. Sedatives and hypnotics are used. Chloral is the 

 proper drug for the horse, and it should be administered in 

 enemata in doses of about 100 grams per day. It had some- 

 times been administered intravenously. Essence of tur- 

 pentine in large doses, subcutaneous injectibns of carbolic 

 acid solution, oxygenated water, quinine, antipyrin, fric- 

 tions with carbolic acid solution, intratracheal injections of 

 potassium bromide, potassium iodide, atropine, curare, eser- 

 ine, and pilocarpine have been successively recommended in 



